Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1887-06-28

llrst took up Ayesha's 1Tirtle mid this eaiz,
scarf with which she had been wont TO hid
her dazzling loveliness from the eyes Of men
and, averting my head 30 that might no
look upon 1t, covered up that dreadful rcli'
of the glorious dead, that shocking epitom
hurriodly fearing lest Leo should recover ant
see ii again.
Then, stepping over the perfumed masses O
dark hair that lay upon tho sand, ] stoopet
down by Job, who was lying upon his face
and turned him over As / did SO his arm
fell back in n way that did not like, nn(
which sent n chill through me, and glancet
sharply Mt him. One look WINS enough. Our
old and faithful servant was dead. Hi
nerves, already shattered by all no had seer
and undergone, had utterly broken down be
meath this last dire sight, and he had died Of
terror, or in fit brought on by terror. One
had only to look ut his face to SEQ II.
II was another blow; but perhaps It may
help people to understand how overwhelm
ingly awful was tho experience through which
we had passed-wo did not feel itmuch at the
time II seemed quito natural that the poor
old fellow should be dead When Leo came
to himself, which no did with groan and
trembling Of the limbs about ten minutes
afterwertl and told him thnt Job was dead
he merely said, "Oh' And, mind you, this
was from no heartlessness. for he and job
were much attached to each other; and he
| often talks Of him now with the deepest re
greet and affection. 1t was only that his
nerves would bear no more. a harp Gun only
| give out a certain quantity Of sound, how
/ ever heavily 1t is smitten.
Well, l set myself to recovering Leo,
whom, to my infinite relief, found was not
dead, but only fainting, and in the end / sue
ceeded, as have said, and he sat up; and then
/ saw another dreadful thing. When we
entered that awful place his curling hair had
hos, rs,ddiacf COLL
gray, and by the time we gained the outer
J air It was snow white. Besides, he looked
1 twenty years older.
"What Is to DO done, old fellowr he said,
In hollow, dead sort Of voice, when his mind
had cleared little, and recollection OF what
had happened forced itself upon 1t
airy and got out, l suppose" answered;
athat is unless you would like to 60 in
there" and / pointed to the column OF fire
| that was once more rolling by.
II would 20 IN IL waro s;iro II would Kill
me- he said, with a little laugh. at was my
cursed hesitation that did this had not
been afraid she might never have tried to
show mo tho road. But am not sure. The
fro might have the opposite effect upon me.
1t might inake me immortal; and, old fellow,
have not the patience TO wait a couple OF
thousand years for her 70 come back again as
sho did for me. ] had rather die when my
hour comes-and should fancy that it isn't far
of either-and go my ways TO look for her.
Do you go in, il you like
But merely shook my head, my excitement
was as dead as ditch water, and my distaste
for the prolongation of my mortal span had
como back upon me more strongly than'ever.
Besides, we neither of us knew what the eff
fects Of the fro might be. Tho result upon
She had not been of an encouraging nature,
and OF the exact causes that produced that
result we were, Of course, ignorant
@Well, my boy,n said, 1--WE can't stop here
till wo go the way Of those two and i
pointed to the little heap under tho white gar
ment and 10 the stiffening corpse Of poor Job.
"If we are going we had better go. But, by
the way, expect that the lamps have burned
OUT" and took one up and looked at It, and
sure enough it had
"There Is some more oil in the vase" said
Leo, indifferently, III it is not broken, at
lenst"
intact. With a trembling hand i filled tho
lamps--luckily there was still some OF tho
linen wick unburned. Then I Lit them with
one of our wax matches. While did 80 VIC
heard tho pillar of fire approaching once
more as it went on los never ending journey,
II, indeed, It was the same pillar that passed
and repassed in circle.
"Lets see 1t come once more" said Leo;
1--WE shall never look upon it's like again In this
world
1t seemed bit of idle curiosity, but some
how / shared 1t, and so we waited till, turn
ing slowly round upon its own axis, it Ind
famed and Numbered by; and remember
wondering for how many thousands OF years
this same phenomenon had been taking place
in tho bowels of the earth, and for how many
more thousands II would continue to take
place. Wondered also II any mortal eyes
would ever again mark its passage, or any
mortal cars be thrilled and fascinated by tho
swelling volume of its majestic sound. / do
not think that they will / believe that we
are the last human beings who will over SEQ
that unearthly sight Presently 1t had gone,
md we, too, turned to CO.
But before we did so we each took Jobs
cold hand in ours and shook 1t. 1t was a
rather CHASTITY ceremony. but 1t was the only
means in our power of showing our respect
10 tho faithful dead and OF celebrating his
obsequies. The heap beneath the white gar
ment we did not uncover. We had no wish
TO look upon that terrible sight again. But
wo went to the pile of ripping hair that had
fallen from her in the agony Of the hideous
change which was worse than a thousand
natural deaths, and each OF us drew from 1t
shining lock, and these locks wo still have,
tho sole memento that Is left TO us Of Ayesha,
as We knew her in the fullness Of her grace
and glory. Leo pressed the perfumcd hair to
his lips
aShe called to me not to forget her." he
said, hoaIsely--"and sworo that we should
meet again. by heaven! never will forget
her. Here swear that, IL we live 10 get out
OF this, l will not for all my days havo any.
thing to say to another living woman, and
that wherever go l win wait for her as
faithfully as she waited for me"
Eyes" thought to myself, 1f she comes
back beautiful as VIC knew her. But suppos-
ing she came back like thatiD
We'll, and then we went. We went, and
left those two In the presence OF the very well
and spring Of life, but gathered to the cold
company OF death. How lonely they looked
as they lay there, and how i'll assortedl That
little heap had been for 2, 900 years the wisesk
loveliest, proudest creature-I can hardly call
her woman-in the whole universe. She had
been wicked, too, In her way; but, alnsl such
Is tho frailty OF the humnr heart, her wicked
ness had not detracted from her charm
Indeed, am by no means certain that 1t did
not add TO It It was, after all, OF a grand
orderi there was nothing mean or small about
Ayesha.
And poor Job, tool His presentiment had
como true, and there was an end OF him
Well, he had q strange burial place-no Nor
folk hind ever had a stranger, or ever will;
and 1t is something TO lie in the same sepulcher
with tho poor remains OF the imperial She.
We looked our last upon them and the indie
scribable rosy glow in which they lay, and
then with hearts far too heavy for words we
left them and crept thence brokon down men
so broken down that we even renounced the
chance OF practically immortal life, because
oil that made life valuable had gone from us,
and we knew even then that 10 prolong our
days indefinitely would only be to prolong our
suiferings. For we felt-ycs, both of us
that having once looked Ayesha In the eyes
we could not forget her forever and ever
while memory and identity remained. We
both loved her now and for always; she was
stamped and carven on our hearts, and no
other woman could ever erase that splendid
die And I-tbere lies the sting-l had and
have no right to think thus OF her. As she
told me, was naught to her, and never shall
DO through tho unfathomed depths Of time,
unless, indeed, conditions alter and day
comes at last when two men may love one
woman and all three be happy In the fact. II
Is the only hope Of my broken heartedness.
and a rather faint one. Beyond IL have
nothing. / have paid down this heavy price,
all that am worth here and hereafter, aud
that Is my sole reward. With Leo II Is diffor-
ent, and often and often bitterly envy him
his happy lot, for II She wns right, and her
wisdom and knowledge did not fail her at the
last, which arguing from the precedent of her
own case I think unlikely no hos some future
TO look forward to. But l have none, and
yot--marlr the folly and the weakness OF the
human heart, and let him who Is wise learn
wisdom from it-yet l would not have IL
otherwise. mean that am content TO give
what oven and must always give, .ii;